IOM staff in Niamey on 2 May welcome over 1,400 Nigerian returnees from Burkina Faso who are now going through their mandatory COVID-19 quarantine. вЂњDiseases have at times been perceived as вЂforeignвЂ™,вЂќ IOM said, as was the case with cholera in the 1830s, HIV/AIDS in the 1980s or, more recently, with H1N1 influenza. From terrorism to disease outbreaks, migrants have often been scapegoated for endangering native populations. I am grateful for the attention to our health and families.вЂќДЄmong the 850 migrants phone-screened over the course of 4 weeks, none reported COVID-19 symptoms, IOM said.ДЄccording to IOM, stigmatization of certain groups during crisis situations is not new. вЂњThey explained the symptoms of COVID-19, prevention measures and told me to stay home until completing the mandatory 14-days quarantine and to call in case of any symptoms.

вЂњI was surprised when I got the call from an IOM community health worker, wanting to know if I'm okay,вЂќ said returned mine worker Laissane Tivane from MozambiqueвЂ™s Inhambane province. To tackle this head-on, community health workers at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) immediately started making phone calls to returned migrants, checking in on their wellbeing and that of their family members.

When 14,000 Mozambican migrants returned home from South Africa, concerns grew that cross-border movements could potentially spread COVID-19 in their home country. Migrants and refugees are among those who have falsely been blamed and vilified for spreading the virus. вЂњWe must act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.вЂќ вЂ“ United Nations Secretary-General AntГіnio GuterresДЎ1 MayВ 2020В - As instances of hate speech, stigma, discrimination and xenophobia continue to rise as a result of COVID-19, the United Nations and its partners are working to ensure that solidarity prevails during the pandemic.

Rise of nations campaign